Caroline's Story
by Onedisturbedchild
Summary: A quick fan theory in story form. Caroline has the weight of the company on her shoulders along with the stress of being turned into a robot. If it wasn't for her good friend Doug Rattman she wouldn't know what to do.


**Disclaimer: I do own Portal**

Life at work was already hard. For almost two months now she'd had to cover her feelings, following the only rule they've ever had. No one at work must know. No one at work could know about her and Cave Johnson.

Two months ago Cave had died from moon rock poisoning. None of the workers were able to find a cure despite how hard they'd tried to find a cure.

Caroline now stood in his empty office, it was like a cold shell. If she tried hard enough she could imagine Cave there, complaining about the testers taking too long or a scientist trying to achieve better working conditions.

Cave was never the smartest man, he cared too much about the compaction to care about the company around them. He'd bought the company almost on a gamble after earning so much money from selling simple shower curtains. Now the company was handed down in her name.

The whole company was weighted on Caroline's shoulders. They were currently sitting on an empty salt mine, the company was almost bankrupted, workers died almost every day, and she'd be shoved into a computer soon. Now she had another problem, she was pregent with Cave's child. A child who'd never meet their father, who their father would never have wanted, a child who's life wouldn't be complete. The baby wouldn't even have a mother to look out for it.

There was a rustle from the doorway, disturbing her deep thoughts. She turned to find close friend Doug Rattman. She never knew how, he'd always seemed to know when things weren't quite right. Caroline didn't even move, it was if in one look he knew. He took her into his arms and she gladly took him into hers.

"It will be okay…" He gently whispered into her ears, taking great care to make sure she was the only one who'd hear it.

"I'm pregent…" the words slipped out of her mouth before she could stop them, tears quickly followed.

Doug quieted her. He'd allow her this time to cry but soon they had to get to work.

~O~

Nine months later, the baby was happily kicking in Caroline's stomach. Caroline couldn't help but being shocked at that the baby had been able to survived, the company stressed her more than anything else. Even with the help of Doug she'd stressed out. Suddenly she'd understood how Cave went from looking so young to so old in such a sort amount of time.

Doug had helped so much during the whole process. He'd first suggested that they stopped working in the salt mines, move up onto solid grounds. It took hours to peel Caroline from Caves old office, she left in a shivering and squabbling mess.

Next they started building the new building, a building Caroline enjoyed much more than the salt mines. The white walls much more comfortable than railing that never felt safe or stable. Then they'd fixed the working conditions, so many less lawsuits to fight when your workers weren't always dying.

Caroline stood in the observation room, overlooking the genetic lifeform body. One of Cave's last wishes. He'd wished for the scientists to put himself in one, if he didn't make it for Caroline to be dragged into it. He didn't make it, she had been dragged into it against her will.

From here she could watch the men quickly working on the mechanical body. She did this often. When she did this, it seemed that it was the only time the baby wouldn't kick inside her belly. Looking at the mechanical body gave her the chills, even the baby knew that it wasn't good.

She sat down at the desk in room and continued to watch. The baby was due tomorrow, she needed her rest.

Years later Doug sat at a desk that Caroline had once sat in, probably pondering the world and what would become of her beautiful baby girl. Wondering what would happen when she gave birth to her child, how life would be after.

The truth was: there would be no life after for her, only her child.

Caroline had died during child birth. The details weren't clear on how it came to be, the fact was that it happened. Doug now cared for the child, she'd grown into a beautiful young women. The first years were hard on them, she'd been born with many birth defects. She had to sleep in a special bed on life support inside the company walls. Unaware that her mother would be shoved into a robot, forced to live life even after she was done.

Very few workers knew the truth behind the girl's identity, Caroline would have wanted it that way. It was the rule she and cave had lived by. Doug only happened to know because Caroline needed to tell someone on the inside and she'd trusted him.

Tomorrow was the day. The day they'd turn on the robot body that was supposed to be the new Caroline. The men on the floor said they'd only been able to preserve part of her brain and they weren't sure how well her brain would work. There was a great chance she would not remember Doug or her child. She would not remember Cave or the months leading up to her death.

Doug had tried so many times to stop the project. Each time he'd failed, the other men claiming they must do this for Cave Johnson. These men didn't know Cave Johnson. They didn't know his love for science and the stupidity that came with it. Most of the men from before Caroline's death had quit when they'd heard a women had taken over. Gone and worked for Black Mesa in the process.

The lights around him shut off as men started to leave, to go home. A forced himself up and to the girls room. He peered through the glass walls down at her, she was sleeping soundly. A smile grew on his face at the thought that maybe just maybe she'd be able to meet her mother tomorrow. A rare chance that girls like her didn't get. Caroline recognizing them both, simulated joy in her robot voice as she saw both of them.

That of course hadn't been the case.

**Let me know if you see any spelling or grammar mistakes! Also please let me know what you think. **

**Thank you for reading :D**


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